Eating nuts may help combat diabetes and heart disease

EATING nuts may help combat diabetes and heart disease, research has found.

A study showed that those who ate tree nuts, including cashews, walnuts and pistachios, were slimmer and had low BMIs than non consumers.

They had higher levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of proteins linked to inflammation and heart disease and were also five per cent less likely to suffer metabolic syndrome - a group of risk factors which together can cause stroke, diabetes and heart conditions.

Professor Carol O'Neil, of Louisiana State University, said: "One of the more interesting findings was the fact that tree nut consumers had lower body weight, as well as lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to nonconsumers.

"The mean weight, BMI, and waist circumference were 4.19 pounds, 0.9kg/m2 and 0.83 inches lower in consumers than non-consumers, respectively."

Her team looked at data from more than 13,000 men and women with 'tree nut consumers' classed as those who ate more than quarter of an ounce a day.

They were five per cent less likely to have metabolic syndrome and also had a lower prevalence of four risk factors for metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting glucose (blood sugar) levels and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels.

Eating nuts was also associated with greater intake of whole grains and fruits and lower levels of alcohol an added sugar.

Dr O'Neil said: "Tree nuts should be an integral part of a healthy diet and encouraged by health professionals-especially registered dietitians."

Maureen Ternus, Executive Director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation, said: "In light of these new data and the fact that the FDA has issued a qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease with a recommended intake of 1.5 ounces of nuts per day.

"We need to educate people about the importance of including tree nuts in the diet."

Source:http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/eating-nuts-may-help-combat-diabetes-and-heart-disease-3127284.html

Just one can of a soft drink a day can increase heart attack risk by 20pc

A CAN of sugary soft drink a day increases a man's heart disease risk by 20pc, say researchers.

Levels of blood biomarkers linked to heart disease were also raised by regular consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, a study found.

Scientists analysed data on almost 43,000 men taking part in the Hewalth Professionals Follow-Up Study, a major health and lifestyle investigation in the US.

They found the association with sugary drinks after controlling for other risk factors including smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and family history.

Men who drank a 12 ounce sugar-sweetened beverage a day, equivalent to one can, had a 20pc higher risk of heart disease than men who consumed no sugary drinks.

The scientists also measured fats and proteins in the blood which are indicators for heart disease.

Compared with non-drinkers, men who regularly drank sugary beverages had high levels of harmful triglyceride blood fats and the inflammation marker C-reactive protein.

They also had lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, a beneficial form of cholesterol which protects against heart disease.

"This study adds to the growing evidence that sugary beverages are detrimental to cardiovascular health," said study leader Professor Frank Hu, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, US.

"Certainly, it provides strong justification for reducing sugary beverage consumption among patients and, more importantly, in the general population."

Dietician Tracy Parker, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "We already know that too many sugar-sweetened drinks are bad for our teeth and the excess calories from them can make us put on weight - a risk factor for heart disease.

"But whilst we need more research to understand how else sugary drinks may affect our heart health, the study reminds us that they shouldn't be a daily part of our diet.

"Go for healthier alternatives such as water, low fat milk or unsweetened juices which are kinder to our waistlines as well as our heart."

The findings, published in the journal Circulation, were rejected by the British Soft Drinks Association.

A spokesman said: "Drinking sweetened beverages does not cause an increased risk of heart disease, not based on this study nor any other study in the available science. The authors found an association between consuming sweetened beverages and cardiovascular risk, but this could have been the result of other lifestyle changes over the 22-year study period involving men 40 to 75 years of age."

Source:By John von Radowitz

http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/just-one-can-of-a-soft-drink-a-day-can-increase-heart-attack-risk-by-20pc-3047532.html 

Cardiac Rehabilitation Improves Heart Rate Recovery, Boosts Survival

For the first time, researchers have discovered cardiac rehabilitation can train the heart to quickly return to its normal rate after exercise.

In a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers said heart disease patients with normal heart rate recovery live longer than those with slow heart rate recovery. A heart that returns to normal rate more quickly works better than one that stays revved up for a while.

"There's no medicine that can do that," said Leslie Cho, M.D., lead author of the study and director of the Women's Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "Especially in terms of mortality, if we had a medicine that could make this dramatic an impact, it would be the blockbuster drug of the century." 
Link:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/235038.php

True Love: Marriage Helps Couples Survive Medical Heart Ailments

So how's your marriage? A new study recommends you do your best to make it work as there are several health related benefits that stem from a happy union aside from the emotional rewards. However, the bond does not affect both genders the same and the study from the American Psychological Association goes into some detail especially as it pertains to heart ailments. Of interest is the discovery that the advantages of marriage are different for men and women.

In fact, Harry Reis, a coauthor of the study and professor of psychology comments that:

"...the effects of marital satisfaction are every bit as important to survival after bypass surgery as more traditional risk factors like tobacco use, obesity, and high blood pressure. Wives need to feel satisfied in their relationships to reap a health dividend, but the payoff for marital bliss is even greater for women than for men.".......................

Source:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/233278.php

A longtime vegetarian gets a high cholesterol count

My blood test results arrived in the mail last year -- and I was shocked. My report, with total cholesterol listed at 248, contained a handwritten note from my doctor in the margin: Come in to see me for medication.

How could I have high cholesterol? Read in full:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-myturn-cholesterol18-2010jan18,0,1272980.story

Now, eat salt without worrying and keep heart disease at bay

How much salt to include in our diets has always been a controversial subject, but a European study has concluded that salt consumption is not dangerous and may in fact, be beneficial.

Link: http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_now-eat-salt-without-worrying-and-keep-heart-disease-at-bay_1558606

Exercise Prescribed For Cardiac Rehabilitation

A new study by researchers at the University of Alberta shows that for best results in stable patients after a heart attack, early exercise as well as prolonged exercise is the key to the best outcomes.

The study shows that, in fact, the heart will become better with exercise sooner and with continued exercise over a longer period of time.
read more on: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/222494.php